Posts Tagged ‘Angkor’

Hanuman Travel and HanumanAlaya Boutique Hotels teamed up to host the annual Audley Guide Awards in Siem Reap in June 2017.

Audley Guide Awards Sala Kdei All Award Winners

Around 50 attendees from all over Asia flew in to take part in the annual celebration of guiding excellence. Participants stayed at the HanumanAlaya hotels (Boutique Residence, Villa and Colonial House) and enjoyed a headline award ceremony at Sala Kdei near the Royal Bathing Pond of Sra Srang. Events included a test drive of a new Angkor Wat Photographic Scavenger Hunt and a Gala Dinner at Reahoo Restaurant at HanumanAlaya Boutique Residence.

Thanks to Audley Travel for the honour of hosting the Audley Guide Awards 2017.

“A few weeks have passed now since the 2017 Audley Guide Awards, making it the perfect time to look back and remember the wonderful weekend we all enjoyed together in Siem Reap. Friends and colleagues gathered from all over Southeast Asia, coming from as far afield as India and the Philippines to experience two days of festivities and information sharing. I hope you all agree that Hanuman were excellent hosts and helped organise a seamless event filled with many notable highlights.

Audley Guide Awards Sala Kdei Pol Rith Cambodia

It all started on the Friday evening when we were all welcomed at Sala Kdei, a traditional Khmer house looking over Angkor’s royal bathing pool. After having a drink or two and enjoying the Khmer buffet, it was time to recognise those responsible for delivering the Audley experience on the ground. Those of you who received an award that night are fundamental to our success and it was a pleasure to the share in the celebrations.”

We recommend you come to Cambodia in the Green Season. We list below a few reasons why coming to this beautiful country in what is considered the low season, but what we like to call the Green Season, is a great time to visit.

Rice harvesting in Kratie

A temple to yourselves. Angkor is considerably quieter in the green season, which is great for visiting the temples. Most of the big tour groups have vanished, the temples are often deserted, especially early in the mornings and even the Bayon and Angkor Wat are quiet. If you head out to Koh Ker and Beng Mealea you will not see many other tourists at all and our guides can take you to some lesser known temples like the isolated Ta Nei where you may be lucky to see some recently released Gibbons in the vicinity of the temple.

The scenery. Cambodia is at its most beautiful in the green season. The rice paddies are gorgeously green and verdant, the moats and barays near the temples are full and when conditions are just right, you can expect spectacular sunsets.

It’s cooler. The rains break up the heat, it’s easier to explore and spend longer at each site and for much of the time it is still cloudless and sunny in the mornings.

Value for money. Cambodia is pretty unbeatable value for money compared to most other destinations, but in the green season, we offer seriously competitive rates and lots of special offers, including half price hotel rooms.

The Tonle Sap Lake. The green season is the best time to visit the floating villages of Kompong Pluk and Kompong Khleang. Water levels are getting higher, making it much easier to navigate through the villages by boat. Travel in June and July and see the water levels rising, but still appreciate the height of the bamboo skyscraper houses on stilts. Visit in August and September and the water levels completely flood the mangroves, which is a beautiful sight and it laps at the front steps of the stilted houses.

Flights. They are much cheaper in the spring and summer months, both from the United Kingdom and Europe, and internally within Cambodia.

Pick of the very best guides. Our tour guides are not as rushed off their feet as they are in the high season, so take a look at our customer feedback and request the guides who appeal to you.

A second visit? Many first time visitors travel to Cambodia in the high season. The country takes on a different look and feel in the green season. The landscape changes, the Mekong River reverses its flow into the Tonle Sap Lake which expands, and there are less tourists. It’s a perfect time to return and visit some new and interesting areas like Battambang, Kampot, Kep, Kratie and even venture up to Mondulkiri in the Northeast.

So there you have it, 8 great reasons to visit Cambodia now. Contact the Hanuman sales team for the special offers and competitive rates we will be happy to provide.

After closing for 3 months during Cambodia’s lush green season to undergo extensive renovations we are delighted to announce HanumanAlaya Villa is open for business again and its looking better than ever!

One of many improvements include a redesigned pool area

We have completely re-designed the hotel and added a new villa behind the original building, which have both been seamlessly merged together. Despite adding the new building we have not increased the number of rooms, ensuring we retain the hotels small, personalised atmosphere and focusing on adding beautiful, spacious suites, re-designing the existing Deluxe Rooms and improving other facilities. There are only 12 units in total – 5 luxurious Deluxe Rooms and 7 very spacious Suites.

One of the new Suites at HanumanAlaya Villa

The new Suites and Deluxe Rooms offer stylish new bathrooms

Other improvements include:

An expanded pool area to allow for more space around the sun loungers.

A remodeled entrance with a very natural and welcoming design.

Expanded and re-designed pool side restaurant area.

Installing a professional kitchen, ensuring food & beverage is better than ever.

The addition of a tranquil and beautifully decorated massage room.

Poolside dining at HanumanAlaya Villa

To book your stay at our new and improved HanumanAlaya Villa contact sales@hanumantourism.com, one of the worlds top travel fixers!

They were joined for a morning classroom session by some of Cambodia’s leading tour guides, many of whom work exclusively with Hanuman. Training took place at our beautiful Sala Kdei, a traditional Khmer wooden home we use for exclusive meals, events, yoga sessions and cooking classes.

Harold starting off the training at Sala Kdei

Team photo at beautiful Sala Kdei

During the training we were delighted to welcome the fantastic team from Flight of the Gibbon Angkor who updated us on one of Southeast Asia’s top adventure activities and then invited us all to join them on tour in the afternoon! We took our superb guides and were also joined by team members from our hotels – Hanuman Alaya Boutique Residence and Hanuman Villa.

The team all geared up at Flight of the Gibbon Angkor

Enjoying the ziplines at Flight of the Gibbon

A great way to start off the high season in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

“It’s not where you go, it’s who you know when you get there” – The Sunday Times.

To join one of our very special guides on a tour of Cambodia, contact sales@hanumantourism.com – One of the Worlds Top Travel Fixers

The Hanuman team recently ventured to the floating village and flooded forests of Me Chrey to test paddle a new kayaking experience.

Kayaking in Me Chrey, Siem Reap

Me Chrey is one of the smaller floating villages on the great Tonle Sap Lake and sees very few tourists compared to the much busier Chong Kneas, offering a more scenic and natural alternative. The village moves with the water level and is prettier during the green season, when the houses are anchored around an island pagoda.

Me Chrey Pagoda in Siem Reap

The Hanuman team recently ventured out to Me Chrey, a scenic 25 km drive from Siem Reap, to test out a great new kayaking tour which explores the vast flooded forest in the area. Expert kayak guides led us through the shady flooded forest, spotting rare bird life, enjoying the tranquil surroundings and meeting the friendly locals.

Kayaking on the Tonle Sap Lake near Me Chrey

We recommend a half day in the morning or afternoon. Enjoy slightly cooler temperatures and a better chance of spotting rare bird-life in the mornings, or bask in the warm evening light and take in a Tonle Sap sunset on the afternoon tour.

Phum Baitang (Green Village) is set to open in August of this year and promises to be a leading addition to the luxury hotel options available in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Phum Baitang, Siem Reap

Hanuman recently visited the 8 acre site to check on progress. The setting is quiet and secluded yet still convenient for downtown and the temples. Once the landscaping is complete with lush gardens, sugar palms and paddy fields it will be a real oasis and offer some of the most elegant and luxurious villas in Cambodia. All structures are already complete with a handful of their beautiful villas now ready for booking.

This elegant hideaway comprises forty-five spacious villas, twenty-five with private terrace and twenty with private plunge pool. The wooden and stilted villas are inspired both inside and out by traditional Cambodian design, offering guests a unique experience in Siem Reap. A luxurious and tranquil Spa Temple offers seven treatment rooms, a sauna, steam room and relaxation area. A yoga pavilion, fully-equipped fitness room and 50m outdoor infinity pool complete the resort’s leisure facilities. During the day, guests can enjoy a light meal or sample a refreshing homemade juice at the Pool Bar. For elegant dining, Phum Baitang’s two restaurants, one locally-inspired and the other offering international cuisine, serve delicious meals using fresh organic herbs and vegetables from the resort’s own gardens. At the Cigar/Cocktail Lounge, guests can sip a cocktail while watching the sun set over lush paddy fields. 5-star luxury coming your way very soon in Siem Reap.

New Viroth’s Hotel opens its doors in Siem Reap, the gateway to Cambodia’s Temples of Angkor.

Viroth’s Hotel in Siem Reap

Viroth’s is already well known for its small, stylish boutique hotel and its contemporary restaurant which have been welcoming guests and keeping diners happy with delicious Asian fusion cuisine for years.

They have now opened their second hotel which is a great addition to the character hotel scene in Siem Reap and welcomed by Hanuman. The old hotel with just 7 rooms is renamed Viroth’s Villa, while the new option is now Viroth’s Hotel.

Located on a quiet street just off Wat Bo road it’s just a short stroll to the Old Market, Pub Street and the alleyways. Viroths Hotel offers 33 stylish rooms all with spacious balconies or terrace, excellent bathrooms, a large pool and a small spa. Service and food are top notch and if your looking for a well priced, contemporary character hotel with one of the best locations in temple town, look no further.

The Angkor Sangkran Festival that has just taken place in Siem Reap, Cambodia welcomed more than half a million visitors to the festivities held amongst the Temples of Angkor, and the massive Khmer New Year crowds witnessed two world records. A 3.2 tonne sticky rice cake made it into the Guinness Book of World Records, and so did a 2,015-person Madizon line-dance (pictured), as Cambodia made their new year celebrations even more memorable with two records.

Patrick Chase’s job is to put together custom travel experiences, so with the Khmer New Year break looming, Will Jackson quizzed him on some lesser-known, last-minute getaway options for the less organised among us.

KEP
They’ve just built these new chalets and villas at Starling Ridge Plantation Resort and it’s just a great place to stay. There’s a main house where you can use the pool. The chalets are really, really nice, and from there you escape the crowds at Kep and Kampot but you’re only a 20-minute drive from both. It’s got a nice restaurant there, too. Obviously, they have the pepper, but they grow a lot of other organic produce down there as well. We sent some very high-end clients there for lunch who raved about it. They loved the journey from Kep through all the little dusty roads, paddies, sugar palms. The countryside is so beautiful down there.Rooms start from $35 per night. Web: starlingridge.com.

PREAH VIHEAR
If you want to go see the escarpment temple at Preah Vihear – while tensions with Thailand are at a low ebb – the new Preah Vihear Boutique Hotel is the first decent place to stay in Sraem which is about 20 minutes away. It’s four-star and has air-conditioned rooms, a swimming pool, pool table and bar. It’s really nice. It would fit in in Siem Reap no trouble. And that could be something a little bit different.Standard rooms start from $30 per night. Web: preahvihearhotels.com.

PHNOM PENH
If you actually decide just to stay in Phnom Penh, a lot of the hotels put on some great specials because the city’s just empty. The five-star Raffles Hotel Le Royal is doing “staycation” packages all through April with rooms starting at $125 including a buffet breakfast, three hours complementary babysitting and they will double the credit if you spend $50 or more on a restaurant, bar or spa voucher. La Rose Suites and Boutique Hotel and Spa is offering 50 per cent off its public room rates and bonuses like free massages and free use of the minibar. And Villa Sovanna, which is another nice little boutique place, is doing rooms starting at $50 with a free upgrade plus 15 per cent off food and 50 per cent off cocktails. Again, if you spend at least $5 on food and drinks, they will let you use the pool.Web: raffles.com/phnom-penh, larose.com.kh and villasovanna.com

BANTEAY CHHMAR
If you want to see an Angkorian temple I guarantee a lot of people haven’t and don’t mind a bit of a bumpy ride, then driving north of Battambang to Sisophon and then continuing on a bumpy road about an hour north from there, you get to Banteay Chhmar, where there’s a full-blown, Jayavarman VII temple. It’s magnificent. The main structure is crumbling stone surrounded by jungle with huge towers everywhere, and there are several satellite temples to boot. If you want to stay up there, this really interesting community which looks after the temples – all the entrance fees and everything go directly to the community; they also do home stays.Home stays cost $7 per room. Web: visitbanteaychhmar.org

BATTAMBANG
I just love Battambang, but it’s often forgotten. Last year at Khmer New Year, there was space at the best hotel in town, Bambu. It has a really airy, open-plan feel and combines contemporary design with a colonial feel. They have a lovely big swimming pool, nice informal outdoor bar/restaurant area and a great location. Great value for money.Prices over KNY start from $90 for a standard twin or double. Website: bambuhotel.com.